


sleeping at last

by bandsaw



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Graphic descriptions of violence, Heavy Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Panic Attacks, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse, autistic characters, kaito and smol are autistic bc i said so, kaito has a kid, single dad time, there's not a lot of triggers rn but it gets Bad trust me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-26 10:31:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19003963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bandsaw/pseuds/bandsaw
Summary: Living as a single dad is hard enough. With a somewhat meager job as a high school physics teacher, Kaito makes just enough to keep himself and his two-year-old daughter Tsukiko afloat.Then the virus hits.Things he once thought were just fiction turn out to be real, and suddenly they are both left entirely on their own. With no idea what he's doing or what's even going on, Kaito does his best to protect them both. Hopefully, that will be enough.





	1. gotta blast

**Author's Note:**

> hi
> 
> new au baybee. kaito has a smol she's precious. her name is tsukiko. she bapy.
> 
> but now there's zombies. have fun :)

Kaito shut the TV off with a frown. Were people really buying all this? The spread of a new disease was definitely concerning, but it felt like a bit of a stretch to be freaking out over “zombies.” People were really buying those rumors. In his eyes, they were plain stupid at best and dangerous at worst - zombies were just fiction, after all. Still, people were hooked. The store he normally went to was getting emptier by the day. Apparently panic buying was all the rage now, a sentiment both he and the storekeeper felt was unnecessary. 

 

Lost in his own thoughts, it took him a moment to notice his two-year-old crawling into his lap. At least within the pandemonium, the school he taught at frequently closing meant he could spend more time with Tsukiko. It always hurt his heart to have to leave her at the daycare - she hated it far more than he did, even with how stressful it had been to get her accepted. Still, it was better than having her mother around. Even if she was a pretty odd kid by most people’s standards, she was perfect in his eyes. Kaito smiled down at Tsukiko and drew her into his lap, giving her a big smooch to her forehead. The little girl squeaked and hid her face in Kaito’s chest, drawing a small laugh from Kaito.

 

The sound of blaring sirens ruined their peaceful little moment.

 

_ What the hell? _

 

His daughter wasn’t at all a fan, quickly bursting into tears and looking around them both frantically. Kaito couldn’t blame her - the sirens were downright creepy. “Hey, it’s okay kid. I gotcha.” He pulled her close and ran a hand down her back. All he got in return was indistinct mumbling. Frowning, Kaito gathered her in his arms and stood up.

 

“C’mon, we’ll investigate whatever it is together.” Flashing what he hoped was a cheerful smile, he made his way over to the window of their admittedly tiny apartment. 

 

What he saw was nothing short of chaos.

 

Military vehicles were roaming the streets, forcing cars to swerve out of the way. The sound of civilians screaming was far more audible and - was that gunshots he was hearing? A quick look around told him that the answer to that was yes. The military was… gunning down civilians? Smoke in the distance only added to the hell that was taking over his city. 

 

(he really should have left the TV on)

 

Thankfully, Tsukiko was facing away from the window, her head resting safely on his shoulder. She didn’t need to see what was going on, not if he could help it. Kaito’s first instinct was to hide them both… but it would help if he actually knew what was going on. Sprinting back to the living room, Kaito snatched the remote and turned the TV back on. The newscaster he’d shut off earlier was now visibly nervous - that alone was worrying.

 

_ “...authorities are demanding citizens leave the city immediately or they will be shot on sight-” _

 

That was enough for him. Tsukiko only made a confused noise through her sniffles. Muting the TV, Kaito set her back on the couch, gripping her shoulders. “H-Hey, you stay here for a sec, alright?” Kaito dashed off without explaining further. He didn’t know if the military would be unstable enough to break into people’s homes, but he’d rather not test that theory. They were clearly fulfilling their promise of shooting people on sight, though that… didn’t make sense. How could they tell who was protesting their orders from those that were genuinely running away? Why shoot random people when most of them were doing what the military wanted in the first place?

 

None of it made sense. Kaito grabbed an old school bag and filled it with whatever he thought could be remotely useful - food, clothes, Tsukiko’s favorite toy, water - and shoved a knife into his pocket. Whether the disease was as bad as the news said it was or not, things were getting dangerous. 

 

Tsukiko’s crying drew him back to their living room, Kaito nearly tripping over himself as he dashed in. The schoolbag he held was quickly dropping as he hurriedly went to his daughter’s side. 

 

“What is it? What’s up?” Tsukiko rarely expressed anything, so when she was distressed she often couldn’t tell Kaito what was wrong. He found the answer soon enough when he looked back at the TV.

 

It was something he’d thought would only happen in movies. Citizens were still running through the streets, though the scene was far more terrifying than what was happening where he was. People were leaping on other people, tearing through flesh. Some were forming mobs. Most of them didn’t even appear human. 

 

The reports of zombies were true after all.

 

Kaito could only stare at the screen in shock. The event was happening in a district he didn’t recognize, but if they didn’t move fast they’d be right in the middle of it. He scooped Tsukiko up despite her protests and grabbed his bag. “We’re gettin’ outta here, don’t worry. I-I got ya.”

 

“Hm?” Tsukiko stared up at him with wide teary eyes, her sobbing calmed for the moment. Heart pounding, he half-walked half-ran to the door. 

 

“We’re, uh… goin’ to your grandparents.” Kaito shut the door with his foot and ran down the stairs as fast as was safely possible. Tsukiko wasn’t a fan of his idea, squirming in his arms. Whether she liked it or not, going to Kaito’s grandparents was their best bet - it wasn’t like he had any other family. Knowing them, they would have prepared already, and living in a fairly rural area helped.

 

“No!” The bark in his ear made him wince.

 

“Tsuki, I know ya don’t like it, but-” Kaito paused to get down the last few steps and kick the back door open, thankfully right around the corner “-we kinda have to. You like the subway, right? ‘Sides, they’ll be more than happy to see us.”

 

Tsukiko kept squirming and grumbling to herself. Kaito held her just a little tighter. As much as he hated upsetting their little routine - TV time absolutely  _ had  _ to last for at least an hour - there was no other option. He had to stop himself from getting frustrated she couldn’t understand their peril. She was only two - even a “normal” child would be acting irrationally.

 

To their luck, the streets were far less busy closer to the alleys the back door led out to. The screams and gunfire, however, were now jarringly audible. Tsukiko clapped her hands over her ears, shutting her eyes and burying her face in Kaito’s chest once more.

 

“It’s okay, we’ll be at the station in no time.” He ran a hand down her back, moving through the alleys. Concentrating on keeping Tsukiko from having a meltdown and finding a way through the alleys that would lead them to the station was difficult. Going through the main streets was sure to be a death sentence, even if the alleyways were eerily devoid of people compared to the chaos in the city. It would have been quiet if it wasn’t for the military still nearby.

 

Still, the subway station wasn’t far from their apartment. It was close enough Kaito could walk Tsukiko to the daycare and back to the station, and still make it to work on time. He did a double-take as he rounded another corner, spotting the entrance to the station easily. 

 

“‘Kay, here we are.” Kaito dove out and dashed down the stairs, paranoid of staying out in the open for too long. He wasn’t the only one with the same idea. It wasn’t as busy as he thought it would be, but there were still many people crowded on the landing. Some glanced up as he entered with sympathy and understanding in their eyes. 

 

“Don’t wanna!” That earned a few more looks, not all of them as kind. Kaito hushed Tsuki and awkwardly sat themselves on a nearby bench, next to a clearly annoyed old woman. As much as Tsukiko liked the train, the station wasn’t a favorite. The screech of the train on the tracks and the constant smell was sometimes too much.

 

“I know, kid. I don’t wanna go either, but with got no choice.” Vaguely he realized he hadn’t needed to use his metrocard. Did the government halt payments to ease evacuations?

 

His train of thought stopped when the subway pulled up. Everyone grew frantic, the air growing tense as people fought their way to the front. Shockingly, the train wasn’t packed with people - to Kaito, it actually looked far less busy than normal. Helping Tsukiko cover her ears, he stood and tried to make his way on without panicking over possibly being left behind.

 

They got on with little incident, Kaito quickly snagging a seat. Tsukiko was back to normal in a second, climbing over Kaito and placing her tiny hands on the window. All her complaining seemed to be forgotten for the moment. Smiling, Kaito wound an arm around her to keep her steady, leaning his head back against the seat.

 

Kaito woke up to screaming.

 

Jolting awake, he pulled Tsukiko tightly to his chest. She had already made her way back into his lap, hiding into his chest and shivering. 

 

“The hell is…” People were standing, looking around as if they didn’t know whether to stay in their carriage or leave. Leaning over, he soon saw why.

 

Blood covered the window of the carriage on his right, muted screams coming from within. Kaito stood up with a start, holding Tsukiko close to his chest. “What the fuck?”

 

“Daddy!”

 

_ “Next stop, Okayama Station.” _

 

Had he slept that much? He wasn’t sure opening the doors of the train was a good idea - shouldn’t the train have stopped by now? Surely someone had called the authorities. Normally, the train would have been evacuated long before the situation escalated this far. It was starting to look like they had no choice but to gun it out of the train - and pray they didn’t get killed.

 

Kaito pushed himself to the doors as the train screeched to a stop. Tsukiko clung to him a little tighter, glancing at the bloody window with equal parts curiosity and fear.

 

“It’s okay, Tsuki. We’ll be fine.” The train stopped. To Kaito, the doors could not open any slower than they were. He leaped out of the subway the second they did, and to his horror, the screams from that carriage only grew louder.

 

“Yea, we’re leaving!” Kaito didn’t even bother turning around. He made a mad dash for the exit. The screams of people started to morph into the screams of… something else. Not entirely human, but not entirely inhuman. It spurred him to run faster, even if running up the many stairs made his legs burn. 

 

He didn’t stop until they were out in sunlight, falling to his knees and placing Tsukiko on the ground. Panting, he looked up to find her… less emotional than expected.

 

“You, uh… you okay kid?” he said between breaths. Tsukiko looked around them curiously, tilting to look back inside the station.

 

“Gramma?” 

 

_ Shit. _

 

His heart skipped a beat. Kaito’s grandparents usually picked them up at the station, but he hadn’t had the time to tell them of his surprise visit. 

 

...How the hell were they going to get there?

 

Standing, Kaito looked around them. The streets were barren… too barren. This area was far more rural than most, but with the chaos elsewhere, he assumed they would have at least heard about it. It struck him as a possibility they may have already evacuated, but his grandparents would have told him if they had left.

 

...Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t heard from them in a few days.

 

“Looks like we’re walking, kid.” Pushing those darker thoughts out of his head, he reached for Tsukiko’s hand. 

 

“No Gramma?” She looked just as confused as he felt.

 

“No. I, uh… kinda forgot to tell them we were coming, and it’s not like we can get a taxi. It’s not  _ that _ far… I think.” Tsukiko giggled, largely ignorant of the peril around them. Swinging their hands, she let Kaito lead them down the road.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know what train stations look like
> 
> comments are my lifeblood


	2. silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy moly everything goes to shit
> 
> TW: there's a bit of gore and a fuck ton of blood. people be dyin

_ Slam! _

 

Kaito spun around to find the doors to the station now shut. 

 

...Were they really the only ones that got out? Of course, there were multiple exits, but the streets were dead quiet. Cars weren’t even on the road. Many looked haphazardly parked now that he looked closer, which was even weirder.

 

They were the only ones around.

 

“...Yea, we’re gettin’ outta here.” That realization left a bad feeling in his chest. There weren’t too many people in this area - at least compared to home - but there should still be  _ somebody  _ around. Tsukiko didn’t seem too phased at the very least. He resumed leading the two of them ahead, his daughter kicking at rocks as they went along. 

 

Minutes turned into what felt like hours.

 

Luckily for them, his grandparents lived only about a half hour away from the station. That was when he was driving. Walking there wouldn’t take more than one hour, but Kaito was worried Tsukiko may not be able to handle even that.

 

The school year was winding down, right in the middle of summer. It never got overly hot, at least for him, but that was different for a child. As the sidewalk turned into dirt road, it had grown more difficult to traverse on foot. Tsukiko’s head was hung low, her skin reddening and sweat visible around her neck. The dress she wore didn’t do much to protect her skin.

 

“Hey, c’mere really quick.” Kaito knelt down, and Tsukiko gladly took the offer of a piggyback ride, tiredly hopping on his back. He stood, arms wrapped around her legs. Kaito couldn’t deny he was starting to get all sweaty and tired himself, but unlike his daughter, he wasn’t overly sensitive to the heat. 

 

Kaito ran the rest of the way once his grandparents’ house was in sight. Tsukiko wound her arms tightly around his neck, but he couldn’t care less.

 

“Hey!” he called out, a bright smile on his face. Their car was parked, so they probably should have seen him by now, but it wouldn’t have been alarming if they hadn’t - they had no idea he was coming, after all. Tsukiko giggled joyfully, her little feet kicking against his back.

 

He slowed to a stop once he reached the porch, letting Tsukiko off his back. Grabbing her hand, Kaito practically slammed the door open, sweat dripping from his forehead as he panted for breath.

 

“Granny? I’m home! I know this is kind of a surprise, but I had to leave pretty fast. Got a lot to tell you guys!” 

 

Silence.

 

“Gwandpa?” Tsukiko called out, hands cupped around her mouth. 

 

Something was… very wrong. They should have come running to the both of them. But once again, only dead silence answered them.

 

“Daddy? Where Gramma?” A fist in her mouth, Tsukiko tugged on Kaito’s pant leg. He just stuttered in response. What was he supposed to say?

 

They were home. They had to be. So why weren’t they answering?

 

“Maybe they’re just… out back.” Heart pounding in his chest, Kaito grabbed Tsukiko’s hand, leading her to the back door. He moved slowly, eyes looking for even the slightest hint of movement. Nothing happened. 

 

They stopped at the door, Kaito’s hand hovering over the handle. He couldn’t explain why he was so afraid. They were fine. They had to be.

 

With a shuddering breath, he swung the door open. Warm summer air greeted them… along with an odd smell.

 

“Grandpa? Granny? You guys out here?” Kaito stepped out, shaking his head at the smell. It wasn’t overly powerful, just… gross. Tsukiko let go of his hand to clasp both of hers over her nose. They stood there in silence, Kaito’s worry growing by the second.

 

Kaito cried out as he was tackled to the ground.

 

“H-Hey! Get the hell off!” He looked up into the snarling face of his grandfather.

 

His face was distorted beyond nearly all recognition. He was foaming at the mouth, growling and making noises no human should be able to make as he tried to bite at Kaito. It was all Kaito could do to shield himself, the tears blurring his eyes making that all the more difficult. The thought briefly came to mind that his grandfather should  _ not _ be this strong. 

 

But here they were. The man that was practically his father was shrieking and clawing and biting at him like an animal, no matter how loudly Kaito was begging him to stop. Lesions and dried blood covered all the skin he could see, his grandfather’s clothes equally torn and bloody. 

 

Kaito couldn’t bring himself to fight back. Throwing punches used to come to him so easily when he was younger - but this was the man who had raised him. 

 

Was.

 

He was one of them now, a monster with no hope of being saved.

 

A monster that threatened the safety of both himself and his daughter.

 

With Tsukiko in his thoughts, Kaito struggled enough to free one of his arms, reaching in his pocket for his knife. Crying out, he yanked it free and sunk the blade into the side of his grandfather’s head. Blood sprayed his face and clothes.

 

_ “No!” _ Kaito didn’t notice as Tsukiko dove out from where she was hiding and ran. 

 

Everything stopped. Gasping and panting for breath, Kaito threw his grandfather’s body off of him with a shout. He sat completely still for what felt like hours, staring at the body. For once, he didn’t bother to stop the tears from sliding down his cheeks. 

 

“Grandpa…?” A shaky hand reached out, petting the old man’s thinning hair. The dam finally broke.

 

Kaito shot forward, pulling his grandfather into his lap and sobbing. He didn’t know how long he sat there for. He didn’t even notice Tsukiko hadn’t come back. All he could focus on was that he’d been forced to kill his grandfather.

 

As his sobbing finally died down, Kaito blearily opened his eyes. The porch was quiet save for the sound of him pathetically sniffling.

 

“Tsuki…?” It was then he noticed Tsukiko was no longer with him. Alarm quickly replaced his grief-

 

-his grandfather’s arm twitched.

 

Kaito nearly threw the body to the floor. He  _ was  _ dead, right?

 

Apparently not.

 

“Tsuki!” In running to the door his body decided now would be a great time to be a klutz as he tripped over his grandfather’s arm, twisting his ankle in the process. Biting down a hiss of pain, Kaito sprinted back to the front door anyway. The door had been left open, meaning Tsukiko had ran out - and hadn’t looked back

 

There was a pang in his chest as he realized that, to her, what he did must have looked like cold-blooded murder. Regardless, Kaito would never forgive himself if he left her behind. Whether she hated him or not, she was the only family he had left.

 

He jumped down the front steps, nearly toppling over as he landed right on his injured ankle. There was time to worry about that later. Kaito saw nothing as he looked up. The only trace of his daughter having ever been there was dusty footprints leading back down the path.

 

...How long had he been sitting there?

 

_ “Tsuki!” _ Cupping his hands around his mouth, Kaito shouted for her as loud as he could.

 

Silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :]
> 
> comments are my lifeblood


End file.
